revivalproject | ♤ Arrival || Starduck: Coruscant

Entry tags:

♤ Arrival || Starduck: Coruscant

WHO: Starduck Crew, anyone else once we've landed
WHERE: SPACE...to landing planetside.
WHAT: SPACENAPPED- OOH SHINY! ...not everyone may be happy about this change of scenery.
WHEN: Beginning of Event
WARNINGS: N/A
NOTES: Feel free to pose as preferred, I just start prose by default.

"WHA-?!"

Cayde isn't prone to dozing off, so it's with a start that he wakes, sitting up in the captain's bed he'd long since laid claim to. Sundance compiles just over his shoulder in a shimmer of light, looking just as baffled. And it seems they're not the only ones here. "Did we get space-napped again?"

He's up and dashing out of the crew quarters and up to the cockpit, mildly unsettled to see no one's steering the ship- not that he's entirely surprised since there'd still been no pilot assigned last he'd checked. That doesn't stop him from sliding into the seat, gripping the unfamiliar controls as he feels better at least trying to man the thing at all. His attention quickly drifts towards the front viewport just as Sundance relays the message that comes up on the communicator.

"-Coruscant? Do we know a.... No, of course we don't. Still not the Sol System. But would you look'it that..." he can't help but marvel as he stares out at the planet and its glowing lights. "I hope that's not lava. Sundance, patch me through to everyone aboard- ahem...

"This is your not-captain speaking. If you aren't already aware of the situation at hand, we have apparently been sent on another excursion by our lovely Agrii hosts. We are currently in space, now approaching our desti- wait, is that just one big giant city???"

---

The ship thankfully seems to know what it's supposed to do to dock even though the Exo does not, which is annoying when it even powers down and refuses to do anything thereafter. Shrugging, he springs to his feet and turns to head towards the ship's hatch as it opens. He's utterly beaming as he looks around once he disembarks, glancing at Sundance.

"I have a good feeling about this place."

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Grogu is very confused. He knows he'd fallen asleep with Din in his bed... So how is he on this bunk on the Starduck alone? And the ship is moving? His eyes widen and he makes a soft noise. He doesn't like this...

He hears Cayde's voice and looks up. One giant city? No... It can't be. Worried, he locates his own communicator and reads the message. The name of the planet cuts through the rest of the garbled words like a knife. Coruscant. No.

His hands begin to shake and he drops the device. The memories start flitting through his head. His friends, screams of pain and fear, betrayal... No. He can't.

Trembling, he climbs down from the bunk and moves to the locker he'd claimed. He burrows into his nest of blankets and sheets and uses the force to shut the door behind him. Thus hidden, he begins to cry.

Footsteps sound from the main corridor and back into the bunk room. As much as Cayde wants to bolt off and explore, he supposes he should check on the rest of the crew. He hears the muffled sound by the lockers and knows there's only one who's taken to camping out there. ...unless Catra's started to take after her more feline nature.

"Kid..?" the Exo calls softly as he steps towards the storage unit, stooping there at the door where the end of a blanket sticks out of its corner. "Hey, what's wrong buddy?"

Betrayed by a blanket...

There's a rustling noise as Grogu buries himself more completely in the blankets. The edge sticking out from the locker is yanked inside.

Everything. Everything is wrong.

Can't hide from a seasoned Hunter for long, kid.

"...." Cayde looks down where the blanket used to be, glancing at Sundance as she comes down to hover beside him. She exchanges a look with him before offering a slight shrug of her vertices.

"Aw come on kid, it's okay. We've landed, no one's crashed- we've got our own private hangar by the looks of it." Cayde pauses. "You're not thinking of camping in there the whole trip, are you? You needa get out, stretch those little legs. Don't worry, Uncle Cayde's here. -hey, you hungry? I know you love to eat! Hang on-"

His footsteps retreat but not very far as he goes back to his bed and lifts the mattress. Where else do you hide things? There's a rustling of a foil package when he returns to the lockers. "Look what I got!"

There's a soft whimpering noise. Yup. He's staying there forever. At least until they're off of Coruscant... Preferably not until they're on one of the outer rim planets or further. Nope. Nuh-uh. Not a chance.

Then he hears that rustling. He knows what that is. Cayde, why do you have to tempt him like this? Well... Food is probably a good idea since he's going to be in there for a few weeks. There's more rustling as he unburies himself just enough to crack the door open and peek out. Is Cayde going to give him those cookies or is he going to have to take them?

The Exo's there with that roguish smile of his as he holds up the cookie pack but just out of reach.

"Come on, how about you just crawl out here, I'll make you a cookie sandwich and then we can mosey on out and take in the sights-"

Sorry, Cayde. That's not going to work this time. He holds out a hand and the packet zooms from Cayde's hand to his. He ducks back inside and the door closes again.

Thanks for the food, Cayde.

"-!" Suddenly, he is cookieless. Cayde stares at his empty hand and nods at Sundance's look without meeting it. "Yeah, yeah. Should've seen that coming."

Sighing, he pushes back up to his feet. "Hey, those things only last so long now," he addresses the locker before turning to head back to his bed stash. He's going to need more cookies...

Yep. You should have. Don't blame the kid, he's seen some stuff and doesn't want to go out there where there are probably people who either want to kill or experiment on him.

Do not want!

So, yeah. He's fine. He's got a good hiding spot and cookies. Nothing can hurt him here.

Let's be honest, the Roses is probably one of the last to land in their hangar. After the startling realization that they've wound up almost a thousand years in the past. And of course, he's still worried about his kid, since they're assigned to different ships.

Once they land, one of his first stops, is for sure going to be heading for the Starduck, to check on his kid.

The hatch opens just as the Mandalorian makes his way closer to the ship. The Exo can be seen backing his way towards the opening, hunched over as he stoops every so often to place something on the floor. His Ghost drifts after him.

"Look, there's only so many cookies and the kid's got a big appetite. He'll come around!" Cayde says confidently as he straightens to inspect his work.

"If he can snatch a package of cookies from you then what will stop him from doing the same to a trail of cookies?" Sundance points out. The Hunter waves a hand. "Kids love a good game! And putting things in their mouths. This'll work!"

When the hatch opens, Mando slows down his pace to a stop. Watching the Exo, and his ghost, back his way out of the ship. His helm tilts, what are they?

"Cayde? What are you--" He stops when he hears mention of 'a kid', and there's only so many kids, specially on the Starduck.

"What happened to the kid?" Now he's getting worried again, and he might just be mentally cursing the Agrii, too.

By then Sundance has noticed the Mandalorian's approach, slowly swiveling to look past her Guardian. Cayde blinks and looks behind him before spinning around.

"Oh hey! You know, I'm not sure. Think he's shy about going out to the new place, he locked himself up in his...locker. Don't worry, he's not going hungry," the Exo reassures, waving a hand. "Anyway, I'm working on getting him out."

Mando tilts his head as he listens. He's never known the kid to refuse to come out of hiding with familiar people. Why would--. His helm suddenly jerks back, hidden eyes going wide as he remembers. Ahsoka had mentioned the kid was in the temple on Coruscant at the end of the war. That poor kid.

"Dank ferric." He curses, and turns to glance back toward the 'Roses to see if he could spot Obi-wan. He then turns back to Cayde with a nod. "Let me on the ship. I can...get him out." He thinks he can anyway. Grogu's never hid from him. The kid trusts him.

The Exo hesitates a moment before dipping his horned head in a nod. Stepping back into the ship, he gestures for the Mandalorian to enter then.

"-mind the cookie trail."

Mando notes the hesitation, and slowly makes his way up the ramp, pausing by the Exo.

"Thank you...I will." He says with a nod, noting the trail of cookies. He admires the Exo's attempts. He'll be sure to thank him more afterwards, but right now. He's more focused on the poor kid. He keeps his word, though, and minds the trail as he follows it into the ship's bunk room, and to the kid's locker hideout. He can feel his chest tighten a little as he hears the sounds Grogu makes.

"Kid?" He kneels down in front of the door, he tries to keep his voice even, but it's hard. He lets his tone soften some. " Grogu. I'm here."

It's a moment before Grogu made a small noise, the familiar one that usually followed Din saying his name. Din's here. Cayde was one thing, but Din... He can't hide from him.

There are a few rustling sounds before the locker slowly cracks open and Grogu peeks out. There's a towel over his head, making it look like he's got a deep hood. He's clearly frightened by something.

Thanks to Ahsoka, Din had at least been made aware of what happened to Grogu. It had him wondering how the kid was handling the whole thing, as they'd taken in the sight of the Temple on their way. He'd hated that they were on two different ships. So there'd been nothing he could do to find the kid until they landed. Now finding Grogu like this, he's mentally cursing the Agrii, or whoever decided ship assignments.

Hearing that small familiar sound, makes him let out a slow breath. Much as he wanted to just reach and open the door, he waited for it to be opened. The kid was scared, genuinely scared. Din was sure he'd not seen the kid this frightened before, and they'd been through some crazy stuff since he found him.

"Hey, it's okay." He says, reaching out to touch the towel, and hopefully the kid. "Come'ere."

Nothing was scarier than seeing someone he trusted go evil and murder all of his friends, fellow younglings, and all other people he trusted and cared about. His world was torn to pieces that day and he's back where it happened and thinks everyone there wants him dead... yeah. He's afraid.

He makes a soft noise, momentarily pulling back into the shadows of his nest. But this is Din. Din will protect him. But can he really protect him from the Dark Side? After another moment's hesitation, he reaches out a hand to touch Din's. He trusts him.

Din can relate to having your world flipped upside down suddenly. Losing his parents, friends and his village to separatists droids. Seeing his parents brutally killed basically in front of him. Plus the more recent loss of the only other family he'd known, in losing his covert. Even if he hadn't been there when it happened.

Din doesn't know about the Dark Side, much less if he could take it on. But for Grogu, he'd do his damndest to protect him. He keeps still when the kid ducks back inside, and he can't help the small swallow. He cam feel the touch, even through the gloves. Despite the situation, it makes him smile a little. Shifting his hand enough, so he can rub his thumb soothingly over the smaller hand. Similar to the one he did back on Corvus.

That touch makes all the difference. Grogu can feel the compassion and caring resonating from Din, despite the fabric and metal separating them.

Taking a breath and holding onto Din's hand, he pushes off the towel covering him and comes closer to the opening. He's not out completely, but Din could pick him up from there if he wants.

Showing any compassion and caring was still kind of new to Din. It really only started after having to care for Grogu, and he still doesn't show it that often. He's trying, though. He really is. But seeing the kid so distressed, he can't not show it. Soecially when it seems to be helping.

He keeps up the rubbing, maybe little tugs of encouragement. Eventually he reaches out with his other hand, too. Scooping Grogu up into his arms, he lifts him to rest against the chest plate, but up higher, closer to to softer material to he cape over his shoulder. That thumb rubbing shifting to rub at the kid's back.

"I got you. You're safe."

For someone not accustomed to showing compassion, Din was doing a damn fine job of it.

The kid is trembling, looking around uncertainly as he's removed from his hiding place. Rationally, he knows he's safe on the ship, that no troopers will find him there... But he's still frightened. He looks up at Din with a soft noise. Is he, though? Is he really safe?

If any troopers showed up right now, Mando would shoot them dead. Like all the others they'd encountered. If they made it onto the ship at all, considering there's others outside. Many with their own powers

"You're safe." He assures, glimpsing that look up, hearing that noise. "I don't know how, but this isn't our time." Those Agrii can do some wild things. "Obi-wan said we're far in the past." What did the Jedi say? "Some nine hundred years." He didn't know if it'd help any, but might as well try.

Such a good Dad.

Grogu's brow furrows and his ears lowered. Wait what? 900 years? He makes a soft noise, confused. How is that possible?

Yeah, he's still confused over the whole thing, himself. And well, confused kid is a slight improvement from terrified kid. He'll take what he can get.

"I don't...know." There's a slight shake of his head. "The Agrii sent us, though. Said we were supposed to learn." Which is off to a great start, considering the reactions from the Jedi. "

This is true. Confusion is better than fear. He tilts his head, trying to process that. No, really. What? How?

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♤ Arrival || Starduck: Coruscant

CW: PTSD

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/slips in at some point?

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